Jarrad Branthwaite: Why is he overlooked for England?

If you had taken note of some of the responses to your recent article...

'Everton braced for Branthwaite bids as Champions League clubs circle' in which you wrote..

'However, Branthwaite could consider his options amid the prospect of Champions League football, having been overlooked for Thomas Tuchel's first two England squads.'

You might have read thst Jarrad is injured... as confirmed by Paul and John.

Jarrad's undoubted talent will come to the fore.

Yes, his hamstring injury was badly timed given the other absentees in the squad, but he's been overlooked for some time.

I wanted to have a little dig into what might be the reason why. Sadly, I don't think he would have been a cert for this squad regardless.

Injured for this one.

The lad is injured. He is in the 100th percentile for centre backs on the treatment table right-now. Please stop this nonsense before the site becomes a joke.

I just hope he doesn't move. His ability will shine and Tuchel won't be around for long.

Ray Wilson and Alan Ball were executions, and Jordan Pickford is now.

But even Bob Latchford didn't get much of a look-in, Joe Royle neither. Colin Harvey had just one appearance and Howard Kendall never appeared for the senior team.

Given my indifference to England, it doesn't bother me too much, but the player is good enough to represent his country by a mile.

Everton is a kiss of death for your English career, apparently.

Mustn't have been good enough to get any more, as he only got 18 goals.

Labone and Baines both got a decent number of caps. Both were up against very stiff competition in their positions but you could certainly argue that they both deserved more.

I think that young Jarrad will be an England regular for many many years. I just hope that he can achieve the success that he deserves in an Everton shirt.

England games were a lot fewer and further between than they are now.

I have my doubts that he can sort out defences.

How goal legend Dixie Dean was snubbed by England for most of his career

Either the judgement of the England manager is highly questionable and we might as well all stop watching now (he also recalled Henderson, for fuck's sake), or he only watches the so called bigger teams, in which case aspiring England players can't flourish at Everton.

Horrible stuff really, either way.

I assume that's why players like Chalobah or Quansah are included. Jarrad is probably better than them but he may have to wait for the next manager as I can't see England winning the next World Cup.

If Tuchel thinks Henderson will help him win the World Cup, he'll be in the squad. I am sure if he felt Alan Shearer could score hat-tricks every game, he'd pick him too… Okay, that's an exaggeration.

One of the worst of the lot when there is no context.

If you only ever pass the ball 5-10 yards to someone else who then does something useful with it,you could have amazing accuracy stats.

However if, like Jarrad, you're actually expected to be quite creative and expansive whilst playing for a team that often has low possession stats, then your accuracy is very much more likely to be somewhat compromised.

God save us from badly used stats!

Everton players, playing for England, are under massive pressure from the media. Jordan Pickford is a perfect example. They'll never forgive him for keeping out Ramsdale, Butland, Trafford, Pope etc…

I think he's a good defender and, a few seasons ago, I compared him to John Terry. But, to be honest, he's more John Stones.

Being critical, he does generally in every game make a simple passing mistake, giving up the ball far to cheaply. As last man, you just can't do that. He's not alone as Tarkowski and O'Brien have done likewise. They try to rush a pass that's never on. Partly due to the lack of options and movement from midfield.

Like Stones, he's not got the tough, ruthless streak and does get pushed off the ball at times like he's off balance trying to do too much with the ball.

Although he's got a bit of pace, he's not particularly quick over the first 6 yards, so I can understand at international level it gets highlighted more.

He can definitely improve the first two areas but also our tactics and our way of playing doesn't fit the England tactics whereas a Man City, Chelsea, or Liverpool team does in having more controlled possession.

That's the worry, he wants to play for a club that plays a similar 'possibly better' style suited to the modern game.

As for Dixe Dean, I think WW2 may have proved a major blockage of international fixtures too. Don't forget, England didn't partake in the first few World Cup tournaments so even fewer games until we entered and qualified for the 1950 edition.

Branthwaite might have ended up politely declining; Rico Lewis and Adam Wharton were not named in the Under-21 squad, and would surely have been certain starters – but perhaps after playing for the senior England side they no longer wish to drop down to play with the Under-21s. Maybe there is another reason for those omissions, though.

The current England squad contains 7 players who are still eligible to play in the Under-21s European Championships this summer; James Trafford, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Levi Colwill, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke. Decent crop of young players right now.

Funny he never singled Harry Kane out saying the race is on for the striker job, or Jude Bellingham or any other area of the pitch.

If one player has been consistent for England, it is Pickford – he is the last player he should be warning.

By the time WWII came around it was Lawton rather than Dean for England. Dean hadn't been capped since '32 and had left Everton in '37.

I follow Lancs CCC and they have been destroyed because of having to release players for the national side. Just sayin' like.

We're caught between a rock and a hard place with Jarrad on this. If he keeps getting overlooked, then talk will be he needs to be playing for a Champions League side, etc. Head turned. If he does get picked, then other players in the squad will get into his ear about joining their side. Head turned.

Personally I think this forthcoming 2025-26 season will be his last as an Everton player – unless either his form goes off a cliff, or something extraordinary happens for us. (And that never happens, right?)

As for Dixie's England appearances, didn't he play in a few exhibition games for them? Not sure if they count as caps but they took his goal tally to the 100 mark in the one season.

Some of this could be to do with injury recovery, but I have always found Tuchel to be a strange fish and he seems to take professional experience to the extreme in his first squad, which would suggest taking any risks was a no-no at the start of his England career.

What do clubs get out of it? The ones who own the players. Not national pride, that's for sure. Nothing more than a puppet show.

Players frequently get injured and come back exhausted. Clubs then have to do without the injured world-class player(s) for lengthy periods. Which denies the fans, the people invested with love and passion and week-in week-out support being able to watch their hero(es) for weeks or months.

Why are clubs not joining together and telling Fifa and Uefa to fuck off? It's not like those belligerent automatons do anything positive at all.

Upon his return from that tournament, he will then become a regular in the full England squad, simply because of him joining Chelsea.

Somewhat reminiscent of England's cricket selectors, four based in London and one for the rest of the country and they managed to find Graham Thorpe in Surrey's second eleven.

Even the debate is pointless.

What's going on, editor???

Plus him being put with the U21s rather than the senior squad a few months ago and then not starting, confused a lot of us.

Alan, you are correct about Grandparents, being enough to represent a country. For me, if I had ever made it to that standard, I would have been able to choose between England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. On a technicality, the Republic of Ireland.

Sheedy was a bit closer to the mark than that. He was born in Wales, but his father was Irish, and he held Irish citizenship from birth.

I don't stalk him online, by the way, just a passing interest!!!

Interestingly, the Cardiff born, Salford raised Ryan Giggs, who chose Wales over England, could have represented Sierra Leone through a Grandparent.

I wouldn't argue with that viewpoint about Delap, Rob.

I think the late Jack Charlton probably stretched it bit with that Ireland team. I can just hear the question now. "Have you ever completed a return ferry trip to Dublin and visited the Guinness brewery? Yes? Okay, I'll sort it out".

Back to Branthwaite, I fail how he won't regularly feature for England once fit. He's young and makes the odd mistake, but most footballers do, especially when you're 22 playing in what was a struggling team.

I don't say this lightly, but I don't know of any better English centre-backs right now. Future captain material too. For Everton.

I personally don't have an interest in the England team and, in the view of club v country debates that frequently crop up in the media, Everton counts first every time.

Branthwaite is the complete centre-back, one of the best I have seen for a very long time, who will only get better and better. Let's hope I do not jinx the guy but only a career-ending injury will stop Branthwaite being the best centre-back in Europe.

Easiest way to get him to extend his contract is make him club captain one day; this is one player we have to try and keep at all costs.

There are lots of very good centre-backs out there.

You're really not entering into the spirit of things, are you?

One possible flaw in your thinking is that most players seem to value very highly the honour of playing for their county.

But yes, the free-loaders on board in these organizations should be a concern.

Picking Jordan Henderson says it all. Instead of trying a youngster. Henderson is an ex red shite. No coincidence.
Forget experience. They have Kane for that.

Let Jarrad recover and be stronger for next season. Fuck England and the media surrounding it all. It won't be long before the 1966 shirts are on shelves. Talk about being stuck in the past.

I just want transfers. The annual snooze fest doesn't help when transfers are concerned.

Whether we get it or not, I think plenty of players would swerve signing for a club if it tried to make it part of their contract that they couldn't play for their national team.

I can spirit into any entry :-)

Hmm.

I havent done research here, but I am prepared to wager that there are many many honourable players who have never been to the country they eventually choose via the complex network of lineages on "Ancestors-R-Us".

And when so called top international countries cant find a manager from their own land, and sides in deepest darkest continents are made up from guys born in hemel hempstead the whole thing becomes just a circus.

And as for the farcical national anthems.

As an atheist and anti- royalist let nature bring fire, brimstone & treacle upon our ungracious king.

The international bandwagon is as boring as hell. Like the EuroChampyConference.

Yawn your way to the end game.

Then watch Spurs Utd.

Southerners might delight in the influx of cash for the wembley fixtures, but I don't see much £££ being spread back north.

Nope. I cant raise anything other than damp squib for Tommy Gun Tuchel & his barmy face fits army.

I don't mean that at all. That's the way it is. What I mean is for clubs to say No Fifa, No Uefa. The whole muppet show needs reigning back.

But it wont be. There will be no closing the bank vault door after the $billion dollar sponsors sign has bolted.

Reel things back to actual genuine national citizens. We need way less pointless, inane fixtures.

Let's face it, a rich person could buy an island… let's call it TFG-land. Issue passports to all the decent footy players, and voila, a new country sets foot upon the international stage!

(Alas, poor Kenwright. I hate him.)

The England game today was woeful from what little I watched; he may aspire to an England call-up, and equally to prove himself at club level. Moyes is a good manager for a young centre-back, and they are both a good fit at Everton right now.

Consider yourself fortunate, Jarrad.

Picking the likes of back number Henderson is senseless and of course if Jarrad Branthwaite went to Chelsea, he would be a shoo-in.

Madueke is poor, as are a few other selections, and the overall plan of attack is lacking any guile from Tuchel.

Pickford is on another level to every current English keeper, has more caps than any other keeper apart from Shilton, has played in 4 major tournaments, with 2 finals and a semi and has never let his country down.

Imo Tuchel got lucky winning the CL with Chelsea, was a disappointment with PSG and flattered to decieve at Dortmund. An uninspiring coach with no USP apart from falling out with people and only being interested in players from so-called big clubs.

For me a massive backwards step for England. And he has stupidly skinny legs.

Leaving Branthwaite out again seems to be him doing his bit to manipulate the players exit away from Everton. You can count on it that Jarred would be in the next England squad if he signed for Chelsea or Spurs this summer.

Tuchel seems like another Capello and England won't win a sausage under this clown.

Mind you, given that the Premier League has four teams in the Champions (and Almost Champs) League that they'll play against such teams in over 20% of their domestic games.

Bloody statistics, eh.

Spurs, one place above relegation, are in the Champions League next season for winning the lowest European competition — what a joke.

If a player is good enough, no matter who he plays for, should be considered. Good job Germany or Holland or France don't follow his advice as they have fewer teams than the £Sky luvvies.

In answer to some of the above, Latchford played for England without a winger like Thomas and never got a sniff. In the following game England played, Dave Thomas was picked and Latchford was dropped for Keegan — all the crosses Thomas sent over were lost to the midget Keegan.

It's where we should be, after all.

His selections are also bizarre. I know he wants to look at players, but picking Jones at right back and Henderson in midfield is stupid.

Personally, I would be happy to see Pickford have more of a rest. Trafford or Henderson in goal at the World Cup would guarantee the whole squad a longer summer rest.

After all, that's the best way to learn and understand how the rest of your teammates play, seeing them play close up, week-in & week-out, and playing alongside some of them.

As for Tuchel being part of another flop in a long line of flops, that is to be seen. Is it every England manager since Ramsey who has failed or is it the players?

England has had some excellent coaches since 1966 eg Revie (hugely successful at Leeds), Robson, Venables, Hoddle (innovative), Capello etc… These are serial winners who failed to win with serial losers.

Yes, we've had some bad eggs who've knocked us back decades, eg, Greenwood, Erickson, McLaren, Turnip Head, Keegan, Southgate, Sam, Pearce etc… Men who have had extremely talented players at their disposal but who have frittered away that talent through lack of talent and/or imagination.

The players themselves have wilted under pressure and expectations. Penalty shoot-outs, lack of ruthlessness, drinking and gambling, heads up their arses, WAGs, social media, agents, weather conditions etc… all have contributed to our lack of success.

Until we change our conservative mentality, we will never win anything ever again. Unleash the Kraken. Let's stop worrying about results (for a while) and let the players express themselves and enjoy the experience of battering teams and being battered.

And choose the best players (not the media favourites) in their natural positions. That's what Ramsey did. He didn't care what the media thought.

This has mostly come from the top sides and their managers.
The only part of it they like is, when one of their players is given an international cap, that raises the player's value.

It always appears that overseas players consider playing for their country a great honour, but not so with our homegrown players.

I'm looking forward to seeing Jordan, Gana and Ndiaye play against each other on Tuesday.

There are just some supporters who put club before country. I am one of them. I've always felt like that. Maybe the environment I grew up in, but many of my friends were the same. I might have felt different if there was a British team. Just my view as I served under the Union Flag, not St George's.

I follow international football out of interest and I watch England, but I'm ambivalent to whether they win, lose or draw. It doesn't bother me.

Colin @65, some very good points there. I've always put it down to the standard of player we produce from grassroots and the system.

Sometimes you'll get a one-off when a collection of individuals come together and gel. I suspect 1966 was like that.

For me, ours is different from the likes of Germany and Holland, probably others. Would include Croatia in that, maybe France.

Right through the pyramid, they are focussed on feeding the national team. England's tends to be more driven around what the clubs want and often it stops there.

The coach of the England team then selects who he thinks are the best available from the clubs.

Yes that is probably the same everywhere. I know what I'm trying to say, so I apologise if I haven't explained it in the right way. I do think it's improving and there are better players coming through to national level now. But as always, no matter who you're playing, you have to perform, regardless of ability. I didn't see that against Andorra.

One thing that boils my blood is that other lot booing God Save the Queen / King at Wembley and singing that song over it. Not that it is England's, it is the United Kingdom's.

Who do they think they are? Custodians of the Scouse football nation? They are absolutely not. We are.

I doubt very much that Pickford will be playing against Senegal on Tuesday. It's only a friendly and Tuchel will probably give Henderson a game… probably because he will be playing in Europe next season!

Martin F, I was seriously contemplating replying to some of your ‘points' in (46) and (47) but then I got to “Let's face it, a rich person could buy an island… let's call it TFG-land. Issue passports to all the decent footy players, and voila, a new country sets foot upon the international stage!“ and words failed me.

Fast forward to their eventual moves and instantly they both become pretty prominent players in the England squad.

Baines struggled although that had a lot to do with Ashley Cole, Lescott (until he left us), Gordon, Jagielka, probably loads more who at best were only numbers on the squad sheets.

Even look at Pickford, every man and his dog talks up any old Englishman in a pair of goalkeeping gloves, despite the fact Pope, Ramsdale, Henderson or any other clown they can think of doesn't come even close to comparing with Pickford — that's not me being biased, it's basic facts.

We seem to be almost frowned upon at England International level; Braithwaite is unfortunately just the latest victim.